On The Playground With Your Kids? Don’t Make This Mistake!

As parents we often attempt to tell our kids how to play or where to play. But sometimes, it's good if we just sit down and let our kids play by themselves.

Some kids need time to acclimatise to the new environment, to start climbing up or to make contact with new friends, especially toddlers that still like to stick to their parents. That's okay. Give them time and let them observe a bit first. Eventually they will venture out and start playing.

The playground is their place and not ours. It is good to supervise kids, but still let them do what they want. We can encourage them, but we should avoid forcing them to do what we want.

If our kids want to watch ants for a while instead of use the playground equipment, then we should let them do that. Watching ants is a fun learning experience too!

If toddlers are trying to climb and it takes a bit too long, just let them take their time. Don't rush and don't be stressed, even if others are waiting their turn behind your child. If safe to do so, you can tell the waiting child to go past. You can guide your child by saying how to move (left foot up!), but the important thing is that your child is making the movement by himself. Don't push or pull. It will help your child learn and they will be more proud of themselves in the end.

The most important thing kids have to learn is how to play on their own and have fun with other kids. Learning by doing!

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19 Responses

So true, and easier said than done! lol I try my best to leave them be and just keep a watchful eye...It's easier now that my children are a bit older....but I'm still often tempted to butt in:0 lol. Thanks for the reminder:)

Learning by doing is so important. I work with teachers and the biggest thing I have to convince them to do is let their students productively struggle a bit and work through things rather than telling them the answer or how to do it. Same in life!

We literally did this last weekend! We went to the park and our daughter friend was there with her dad..so my husband talked with him, I talked with another lady I knew and the two girls just played and laughed and had so much JOY! It was the cutest. If no one is there, then we play with her at the park!

This is what I realized too. That I should let my kids play how wherever whenever. They are kids after all. But, of course, safety must always be our top priority. We must make the play area safe for them before we let them in.